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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 001137 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR INR/R/MR, EUR/SE, EUR/PD, NEA/PD, DRL 
JCS PASS J-5/CDR S. WRIGHT 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OPRC KMDR TU
SUBJECT: ANKARA MEDIA REACTION REPORT 
TUESDAY, MARCH 7, 2006 
 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
Investigation of General Buyukanit 
All papers:  On Monday, Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan and 
the Chief of the Turkish General Staff (TGS) Hilmi Ozkok met 
to discuss the complaint filed by the Van prosecutor against 
Land Forces Commander General Yasar Buyukanit for trying to 
influence the judiciary by protecting a non-commissioned 
officer, Ali Kaya, who is suspected of having been involved 
in the Semdinli bombings.  The bombing of a bookstore in 
Semdinli on November 9 and the ensuing protests claimed six 
lives and left several people injured.  The prosecutor has 
also accused Buyukanit of involvement in organized crime and 
forgery during his tenure in the region between 1997 and 
¶2000. 
The prosecutor's file says that the Semdinli incidents were 
aimed at undermining confidence in the government. 
 
General Ozkok complained to Erdogan about a systematic 
campaign to wear out the military, and said that the 
complaint "went too far."  All accusations against military 
officials serving in Semdinli are based on the testimony of 
a single witness, according to Ozkok.  Sabah claims that 
Erdogan and Ozkok have agreed in principle to send backthe 
complaint and initiate legal action against the prosecutor. 
 
General Buyukanit, known for his hard line stance against 
terrorism, is to replace General Ozkok as the chief of TGS 
in August 2006.  The ruling AK Party denied claims that the 
government wanted to block Buyukanit from taking the TGS 
post.  The Prime Minister's Spokesman Akif Beki told the 
press that the complaint against Buyukanit was beyond the 
government's power, and that it relates to the judiciary. 
Main opposition CHP leader Deniz Baykal accused the AKP 
government of manipulating the judiciary in a "plot" against 
the military.  CHP Hakkari lawmaker Esat Canan, on the other 
hand, defended the prosecutor, saying that he had done his 
job. 
 
Testimonies of Guantanamo Captives 
Milliyet, Vatan, Cumhuriyet, Radikal, Yeni Safak, Zaman cite 
international wires to report on the testimony of a Tajik 
prisoner who was handed over by Pakistanis who are "selling 
people for $10,000 each."  Papers also report that one Saudi 
and one Turk were arrested because they were wearing Casio F- 
19W watches, which, according to the US, al-Qaida uses to 
make bombs. 
 
Turks Join US Army to Become Citizens 
Milliyet, Sabah, Vatan, Radikal and others report on Romina 
Sidi, a Turk from Izmir who is currently serving in US 
military in Iraq. She had gone to the US for a better 
education and joined the Air Force when she wanted to become 
a citizen.  "I joined the military after September 11 to 
fight against terrorism," Sidi said.  Eighty-one Turks are 
serving in the US military. 
 
EU Delegation Visits Turkish Cyprus 
Milliyet, Sabah, Cumhuriyet, Radikal, Zaman and others: 
Turkish Cypriot "Prime Minister" Ferdi Sabit Soyer met with 
the visiting contact group of the European Parliament in 
Lefkosa on Monday.  "Turkish Cypriot people have a right to 
meet with the world.  We must be helped to integrate with 
the world and to advance our economy," Soyer said, recalling 
that "President" Talat has sent a letter to UN Secretary 
General Annan, expressing Turkish Cypriots' willingness to 
begin negotiations on the basis of the UN-backed peace plan 
for reunification.  On Monday, a small group of Turkish 
Cypriots protested against the EP contact group for 
 
ANKARA 00001137  002 OF 003 
 
 
referring to Turkish Cyprus as "the community living in the 
north" before traveling to the Turkish sector.  Soyer 
shrugged off the protests, saying that "chauvinists create 
such problems on both sides." 
 
Dervis: Overvalued TL Threatens Turkish Economy 
Zaman, Cumhuriyet and others:  Kemal Dervis, the United 
Nations Development Program (UNDP) Administrator, said that 
overvalued Turkish lira is a threat against the economy. 
Dervis told CNN-Turk on Monday that Turkey cannot handle the 
"extreme liquidity" in the world alone.  Hot money inflow 
overvalues the currency, limits competitive power of 
consumers, and is harmful in the long term, according to 
Dervis. He continued, "We must reduce the hot money inflow. 
The state should intervene in the markets.  There are 
foreign exchange and monetary policy problems in Turkey." 
Dervis also stated that Turkey should try to accomplish a 
growth rate of over 5 percent in order not to face any 
employment problems. 
 
3 Policemen Killed in Batman; Iran Extradites 7 PKK 
Terrorists 
All papers report three policemen were killed and four 
others were injured in a PKK terrorist attack in the 
southeastern province of Batman.  Meanwhile, Iran extradited 
seven members of the PKK to Turkey following an operation 
against the terrorists in the Kalarash region near the 
Turkish border.  Diplomatic sources said that in late 
February, the two countries have agreed on security 
cooperation for the first time since 1937. 
 
Commentary on International Issues 
In mainstream Hurriyet, Hadi Uluengin notes that President 
Bush's recent trip to Asia demonstrated that the "global war 
against terrorism continues to play a vital role in the 
formation of US strategy." Uluengin believes that the move 
toward making India a strategic partner, a "policy, which is 
based on favoring India as a counter to China, will help to 
increase anti-Americanism as well as strengthen China even 
more," and concludes that "in the aftermath of 9/11, the US 
made a policy mistake by isolating the Islamic world and 
President Bush is now repeating this mistake by putting 
China in the rival category." 
 
Sami Kohen writing in mainstream Milliyet believes that the 
time has come to "expect an indication of responsible 
statesmanship from Hamas." He believes that although Hamas 
"still has not indicated whether will they take advice from 
Ankara and Moscow, or lean toward the Iranian rhetoric, it 
is right to expect them to do so since this is exactly what 
the Palestinian administration wants to see." 
 
Writing on the situation in Iraq, Haluk Ulman commented in 
the daily Dunya that confusion is the dominant theme: 
"Sunnis are against Jafari but also support his views on the 
federal system; the Bush administration collaborated with 
the Shiites in the beginning but currently Washington is 
disturbed by the possibility of Shiite rule in Iraq because 
of Iran.  The US, albeit belatedly, realized that Iraqi 
Shiites will eventually get close to Iran.  Turkey should 
stand in an equal distance to all the Iraqi sides until the 
uncertainties are over." 
 
 
TV Highlights 
NTV (8 a.m) 
 
Domestic News 
- Prime Minister Erdogan and the Chief of the General Staff 
 
ANKARA 00001137  003 OF 003 
 
 
General Ozkok met to discuss the complaint filed by Van 
prosecutor against Land Forces Commander General Buyukanit. 
 
- Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul will travel to Vienna on 
Tuesday for a meeting with the EU Troika to discuss Cyprus 
and Middle Eastern issues. 
 
International News 
- Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said Iraq will 
eliminate the PKK presence in northern Iraq once Iraqi 
forces take full control of security across the country. 
 
- President Talabani said Iraq's first permanent post-Saddam 
Hussein parliament will convene on March 12. 
 
- John Bolton, the US Ambassador to the United Nations, has 
warned that Iran faces "tangible and painful consequences" 
unless Tehran halts its nuclear program. 
 
- International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director-General 
Muhammad al-Baradei opened the Vienna meeting over Iran's 
nuclear activities by suggesting there is still room for 
talks before reporting Tehran to UN Security Council. 
 
- Amnesty International (AI) has condemned in a report the 
detention of prisoners in Iraq without trial.  AI said 
torture is continuing, and called for changes to the 
treatment of detainees by the US, UK and Iraqi authorities. 
 
Economy News 
- State Minister for economy, Ali Babacan said the 
government would stick to its monetary policies and the 
fight against inflation. 
 
- A World Bank report warns that current deficit in Turkey 
would become difficult to control with rapid growth and high 
energy prices. 
 
WILSON